Duening to lead new program at UCCS College of Business

Tom Duening, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and El Pomar Chair of Business and Entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, will lead a new program at the College of Business that will offer a minor in entrepreneurship.

"We are motivated by the belief that entrepreneurship is the next-generation social force," said Venkat Reddy, dean of the College of Business. "The more entrepreneurs we create, the stronger the force becomes."

Startup companies in the United States are creating an average of 3 million jobs annually, according to Duening. In contrast, large companies are decreasing their U.S. workforces.

"If we want to dig out of this lingering jobs recession, we have to train, encourage, and assist startup ventures in our community and country," Duening said.

The new minor can be paired with any UCCS major and includes core business courses as well as courses specific to the development of entrepreneurs. The program will begin in fall 2011.

Duening will teach an initial course, New Venture Creation, to introduce students to opportunity identification, evaluation, and feasibility. Students who continue in the program will learn issues surrounding venture creation, including funds needed for launch, growth, and exit. Students will prepare business plans and will present their plans to groups of seasoned investors.

The new minor in entrepreneurship is unique in Colorado Springs and is part of a larger effort undertaken by the Center for Entrepreneurship to build southern Colorado.

Duening joined UCCS in 2009. Previously, he directed entrepreneurial programs at Arizona State University, launched the Arizona Technology Investor Forum and directed the University of Houston's Entrepreneur and Venture Development Center and was assistant dean for administration and executive programs in the UH College of Business. He also served as president of U.S. Learning Systems and vice president for content development for Edgia, Inc. He is the author of 12 books, including "Technology Entrepreneurship."